Kendall Defoe
Bio
Teacher, reader, writer, dreamer... I am a college instructor who cannot stop letting his thoughts end up on the page. No AI. No Fake Work. It's all me...
And I did this:
Achievements (6)
Stories (850)
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Being a True Account of a Return to My Home during the 2022 Winter Holidays
Based on the response to my last piece on a trip to my hometown, a lot of readers were interested in my account of the bus, train and taxi journey, so I have decided to follow it up with material from the other end of things. I spent two very long weeks in my hometown, never venturing downtown – nothing to see except more urban decay, former stores and spots which I used to enjoy now shuttered and abandoned, and the old and continually new problem of homelessness – or even venturing to most of the homes and relatives I had promised myself to patronize. It was not a very festive moment, and I could even feel the lack of zeal in our home. For the first time, my mother decided not to put up the tree or any decorations around the house. We only kept lights on in front to keep up appearances, but it was clear that my stay was just like any other free time in my life when I did not have a holiday to celebrate or work to do. My days were filled with jogging, reading, trips to the mall (surprisingly, a bright spot in all of this and something that might deserve its own piece), too much television surfing, not enough writing, and plans for my return home (I knew things were bad when I decided to pack two days early for the trip back).
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Wander
Autobiology
I woke up from the most relaxing sleep to realize that it had happened again. Now, usually, I would adjust to the change in circumstances by learning my function and trying to be quiet, tame, polite and even inconspicuous (a good word; a word that I was learning to use more and more often when I was on my own). But this felt a little bit different.
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Fiction
Being a True Account of a Return to My Hometown during the 2021 Winter Holidays
If there are any future generations left out there that want to hear this, I think it should be put on record as one of the strangest and weirdest moments of the year for me. I decided to return to my hometown after avoiding the temptation of returning to see my family over the holidays last year. Covid-19 played its role, but I was also concerned about the trip itself. I have become spoiled using air travel, even if it happened to be sporadic and often overpriced (this year’s rates were ridiculous). But, there were two other options: bus (made worse by the decision to move the station to an even more depressing area of the city) and train (a viable option with my membership in the company’s rewards program and the fact that the building where we catch the train is quite beautiful). My decision was made for me, but I did not anticipate other issues. They say that the trip is often more exciting than the arrival itself. Is this true, based on what I experienced over a very long Tuesday? Let me fill in the details and you can decide for yourself:
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Confessions
Social Groups to Avoid
An explanation: after writing about what I am grateful for (what makes my life worth living), I did a little more digging and decided to come up with certain social groups that I feel should be avoided (see if you can check the abbreviated forms of said organizations.
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Poets
The Time on the Wire
I have to begin this with a few confessions. First, it took me a very long time to get into the cult of Cohen. I thought all of that moodiness and dark rambling was a pose. Being a student of literature in Canada did not help, either. You pretty much have “Suzanne” in your DNA if you are of a certain generation studying poetry and song in this country. When I was a teenager, it was Neil Young who did it for me (even having a roommate who worshipped Leonard Cohen did not convert me). And then I finally got it: the wit, the fedora, the gravelly-voice intonations and desires for the impossible woman who will set everything straight. It all fell together as I went back to the records and could hear what the man was saying about romance and love.
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Beat
Stationery
O.K., people do wonder about my habit. I have to admit that it is not easy being me and having to suffer with an addiction to stationery. Yes, stationery. Papyrophilia. I am admitting something that most people would not find embarrassing, but to me it is something quite shameful, despite all of the success that it has given me. I even dread sharing this with you, especially after all that has passed between us. But why not? I have some time before my next meeting.
By Kendall Defoe 4 years ago in Confessions
